ARC Review: Cast in Sorrow by Michelle Sagara

Cast in Sorrow

Author: Michelle Sagara

Publication: Harlequin Luna; Original edition (August 27, 2013)

Description: THE END OF HER JOURNEY IS ONLY  THE BEGINNING… 

The Barrani would be happy to see her die. So Kaylin Neya is a bit surprised by her safe arrival in the West March. Especially when enemies new and old surround her and those she would call friends are equally dangerous… 

And then the real trouble starts. Kaylin's assignment is to be a "harmoniste"—one who helps tell the truth behind a Barrani Recitation. But in a land where words are more effective than weapons, Kaylin's duties are deadly. With the wrong phrase she could tear a people further asunder. And with the right ones…well, then she might be able to heal a blight on a race. 

If only she understood the story….

My Thoughts: Kaylin Neya is out of her element as she travels to the West March to take part in a Barrani ceremony. The ceremony involves healing the Green which was damaged when some ambitious Barrani decided to use their children to gain power at the an earlier ceremony. 

Kaylin's friend Teela was one of those children and the only one to come back alive. The other eleven are caught some where between life and death. Teela wants to save them. Kaylin is afraid that she will lose Teela in the attempt.

Kaylin is also traveling with Nightshade who is the Barrani outcaste who controls the fief where Kaylin was born, the Consort who is one of the most important Barrani, her friend Severn, and her small dragon familiar. As is usual, the plot is complex and rife with Barrani politics. The magic well-developed and the characters well-rounded. I like Kaylin's relationship with Teela and the way she interacts with the Barrani. I also like her relationship with the small dragon that she treats as if it were a pet cat but which is a powerful magic familiar.

Fans of the series won't want to miss this episode but I don't think anyone would be successful jumping into the series here at book 9. 

Favorite Quote:

Words were sometimes more of a barrier than a bridge, especially because it was so easy to choose the wrong ones. It was just as easy to hear the wrong ones—to think she understood waht the other person was trying to say to her. To hear what the words meant to her, not what they meant coming from someone else's mouth.

I get this eARC from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.